The Waning Moon
by SayCheshire
Summary: More beautiful than Aphrodite herself, She pulls strings and watches as lives are ruined by Her schemes. Unaware, Artemis is trapped in a web of lies, woven by the most successful puppeteer of all time. The corruption of Artemis, through her very own eyes, as one prophecy replaces another and Percy Jackson becomes the spear that pierces her heart. Rating may go up.
1. I The Titan Krios

_**The Waning Moon**_

_This is what I brought you, this you can keep. This is what I brought; you may forget me. I promise to depart just promise one thing. I promise you my heart just promise to sing. This is what I thought: I thought you'd need me. This is what I thought, so think me naïve. I promise you a heart you'd promise to keep. Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep. _

—Prelude 12/21, AFI

_**I. The Titan Krios**_

I suppose it started with an arrow.

Anything before, well, doesn't count. When he was a boy of fourteen and I called him a man, I lied. He was still a boy, despite him having taken the sky from my shoulders. His acts of bravery before and during the quest to save me from Atlas only got him from being a boy to… a slightly more tolerable boy.

So it started with an arrow.

I flashed into the woods bordering Camp Half-Blood. Night had fallen and Dryads peeked at me from behind their trees. From far away I could hear singing voices and raucous laughter, muffled by distance and the thick foliage of the trees surrounding me. I strode out of the woods, heading for the Big House.

Neither Dionysus nor Chiron greeted me on the steps leading to the house. I frowned at the clear rudeness of it all, but went in anyways. After quick inspection, it became obvious the house was empty. Wary, I summoned my bow, expecting a monster to jump out at me. Only now did I realize that I should have met someone on my way here.

I heard voices from far, far away and made my way over there cautiously. I passed the dinning pavilion, the forges and even the stables. I decided to cut through the archery range to save time. The voices had become much louder now, but I couldn't understand what was being sung due to the sheer number of voices joining in the chant. Had camp been invaded by an army of monsters? Were they using the surviving campers as a sacrifice? How many were there to subdue the whole camp and Dionysus?

A shiver ran down my spine as I realized that maybe I was in over my head. Was Kronos really not gone? My thoughts immediately went to Percy Jackson. Was _he_ the sacrifice? I broke into a run, abandoning caution in favor of rescuing him. He was the child of prophecy; he had done too much already to not be. If he died…

I became so distracted that I almost didn't see the arrow. At the last moment, though, I sidestepped while I knocked an arrow and shot at a far away figure. There was a single, high torch illuminating the field and I was on the wrong side of it, which meant that he could see me clearly. The figure, however, was close enough to the torch so that it stood bathed in shadows. Still, being a goddess, my superior sight allowed me to distinguish shapes in the dark—further helped by the fact that, as the goddess of the moon, I was meant to hunt in the dark. What my eyes were seeing, however, didn't make sense.

The figure, who I had determined was male an probably a demigod, had its back towards me. There was no way that the arrow could have been a shot to determine if a twig snapping, or any other noise, was part of nature and did not incriminate an enemy. I was standing in plain view. What kind of idiot had Kronos—and I was hoping it wasn't him—placed as a lookout?

I watched as my arrow sped towards the figure's head. My face stayed neutral as my arrow reached its mark and—_what the Hades?_

I could feel the outright surprised expression on my face. The arrow _ricocheted_ off the man's head. The impact was so strong that it shot straight at me again. I caught it nimbly and knocked it again. I aimed at the figure as he turned and aimed at me with his bow. I could see that his grip was all wrong, but I didn't dwell on the fact.

I had broken onto a run as soon as I had caught my arrow, and now he couldn't see me. I shot my arrow at his hand, but it missed by a millimetre. I didn't give up and shot another silver arrow. This one also missed its mark. Neither of the three arrows had missed because of my aim—it was always accurate, no matter what—but the man was fast, which made me believe that I wasn't facing off against a green demigod so blinded by rage that he would join Kronos's army. This was a Titan.

My mind immediately went to Krios. Hadn't Jason Grace defeated him? Prometheus was behaving for now. Hyperion I knew was back in Tartarus and Atlas was much bigger than this one. It had to be Krios since, in their weakened states, the other Titans that had sided with Kronos and were still free weren't nearly powerful enough to do what the figure had just done.

I released three arrows in quick succession. The third one caught him in the hand. Again, the arrow was sent back to me. I didn't bother caching it because it would make me lose time. Arrows would not work.

This was Krios. He had acquired some kind of all-body shield. I noted that the singing was becoming more and more lively, which meant Percy Jackson had probably very little time left. I had to hurry.

My feet ate up the distance between me and Krios. The Titan himself was running in my direction. He had discarded his bow as soon as I had fired the second arrow at him, so he was carrying no visible weapons. I didn't let that fool me, though; he could be carrying a retractable weapon.

I was less than a yard from him when Krios's hand went to his pocket and retrieved a pen, which he quickly uncapped. Before my eyes, it transformed into a lead-shaped blade emanating a soft bronze glow. Anaklusmos.

If I had any doubt that Percy Jackson was in danger, I didn't now.

I jumped at Krios and used my momentum to hand out a spinning kick. He sidestepped me and twisted his arm. Riptide cut through the air like butter. I spun around and summoned my bow, which quickly morphed into a sword. I usually didn't use a sword, but my arrows wouldn't pierce him due to that blasted shield of his. Anaklusmos and Agnotita met in the middle, creating a beautiful silver-bronze glow.

I threw my weight onto my right foot, which was forward. Krios faltered under my strength and slipped on the grass. Taking my chance, I drove my sword into his chest. Only to have the point of my sword stopped in midair by a rippling, transparent force that was barely noticeable through the silver glow of my sword.

_This_ was the shield. It would not beat me this time.

The shield attempted to throw me off, to send me sailing through the air, but I dug my feet onto the ground, preparing to plunge Agnotita down with much more force. Krios chose that moment to lunge at me. Caught off-guard by his fast reaction time, I barely had time to parry Riptide.

I jumped back to avoid his blows, but that mistake had cost me precious time. Was Percy Jackson still alive? Curse Krios's shield. If I was able to use my bow… I was not bad with a sword, but neither was I good. A very, very skilled demigod would never have been able to beat me due to my sheer strength, but this wouldn't end well for me. I was facing a Titan, albeit a weakened one.

I was about to pray to my father, but I had my pride.

Slowly but surely, Krios was pushing me back. Neither of us had a shield, which I noted was probably partly why I lasted this long. His left arm kept twitching slightly, as if he was about to release his sword from mine and intercept Agnotita with a shield.

The twitch became more pronounced the more force I threw behind my sword, so I took my chances and recklessly pushed his sword away. Such a move would have broken the tip of most swords, but both Anaklusmos and Agnotita remained unscratched. Krios appeared thrown aback by the move—which was terrible show of swordmanship and amateurish to a fault—and I jumped high into the air, Agnotita higher still, raised above my head.

When I fell, face first, Agnotita was directed straight towards Krios's chest. The sword hit the shield and my momentum both prevented it from sending me back into the air and caused Krios to fall hit the floor with a thundering crack that was probably heard by those performing Percy Jackson's sacrifice.

Regardless, for a short amount of time, I was suspended midair, hovering by the point of my sword, which was breaking through the rippling shield painstakingly slowly. Krios cried out in pain and a cruel smile twisted my face. Almost there.

At the same time, my body began falling back to the ground. My knees hit the ground first. As I was now, I was straddling him. Agnotita had almost pierced his shield. Sweat trickled down my back as I again renewed by assault on the shield. Krios was screaming, in too much pain to hurt me, I assumed.

I could taste victory. I could _taste_ it. So sweet…

But he took it away in an instant.

A high-pitched, sudden howl of pain was torn from my throat as Anaklusmos slashed through my side. I arched my back due to the pain, but that only managed to dig Riptide more firmly into my body. Golden ichor dripped from Anaklusmos and soaked both our clothes. I lost my hold on my sword, but so did Krios. The two swords clattered to the ground.

Blind with rage, my hands encircled his throat. I had the advantage, being on top. Somehow, as the two of us fought hand to hand, I managed to turn him around without quite knowing how. I restrained his arms but he kicked at me. I lost my hold, and awkwardly fell on him. He clawed at me. If he hadn't wounded me, then I would have won sooner or later in hand to hand, but I was weak now.

By chance, my hand slid across the small of his back. My nails dug for purchase, anything to not be dragged under Krios. While they didn't find it, they drew blood. Blood. A weak point in the shield. I could hardly believe my eyes, but he soon confirmed I had found a break in the shield when he screamed in pain. I was almost taken aback by how strangled that scream was—and had I been in my right mind I would have registered that a Titan certainly wouldn't be so hurt my nails scratching along his back—but at this point I was giddy for Krios's pain.

Bellow me, Krios buckled and arched, wether in pain or trying to throw me off I don't know, as I pushed harder and harder into his weak spot. My sword glowed besides me, Riptide already in Krios's pocket once again. I didn't worry about it, though; by this point, the Titan was in so much pain, he wouldn't be able to hurt me.

My right hand closed over Agnotita's hilt while my left pressed forcefully on Krios's back. Agnotita's hilt was hovering over the small of Krios's back when a turbulent breeze made the torchlight illuminate Krios's face.

I threw Agnotita away in horror. _Krios. Krios. Krios._ A mix between a laugh and a scream bubbled from my throat. Because this wasn't Krios. This… This was…

This was Percy Jackson.

Injuries forgotten, I picked up Agnotita and cut my wrist. I turned Percy around carefully. He didn't even resist as I placed his head on my lap. I pressed my wrist to his mouth but he pressed his lips shut. "Percy, please." His eyes cracked open, and I could see surprise in them.

They seemed to be asking me why.

"I didn't know." I felt a prickling behind my eyes. I hadn't felt that way since… since Orion died. Here once again was I tending to a son of Poseidon I felt was less annoying than the average boy because of wounds I myself had inflicted.

But Percy hadn't died yet. "Please drink. The Curse of Achilles should keep you alive for the time it takes for my ichor to take effect."

Cautiously, he opened his mouth and let my ichor—close enough to nectar as you could get without it actually being nectar—flow into his mouth.

I stood there, letting him drink as the ichor on my chest dried and I became once again aware of my pain. I wasn't aware of it, but in reality very little time had passed. I would later hear the accounts of my Hunters, of Chiron and Dionysus, that told of hearing two loud screams in close succession, which alerted them of a fight in Camp.

When they found us, I was doubled over in pain, ichor still streaming from my torso and wrist, with Percy lying on my lap, apparently unharmed.

_**The Waning Moon**_

Chiron was worried about Percy; Dionysus was worried my getting hurt in Camp would result in Father placing the fifty years he had gotten off his back for helping in the Titan War back. My Hunters were worried solely about me, except for Thalia, who was holding Percy's hand in hers and split her time between gazing at me or Percy with worry.

Half the camp was crammed inside the Big House, the other half was crowded around it outside. Poseidon arrived less than five minutes after I got Percy into the Big House, dragging Apollo by the collar. I forced Apollo to tend to Percy before me, since I was immortal, and my insistence was probably what saved me from being blasted to pieces since he allowed me to explain what had happened.

Annabeth Chase screamed at me till she tired of it. My Hunters all tried to kill her, except for Thalia, who was working on restraining her. Another time, I would have been offended by her insults, but I understood how much Percy meant to her. I quickly got my Hunters under control, but Apollo was another matter entirely. It was only because of Poseidon's presence that he didn't kill the girl until Athena arrived.

Aphrodite, with Ares in tow, arrived shortly after Apollo finished with me. She gave me a speech on responsibility, which impressed Athena—who refused to leave the room as long as Annabeth stayed there—until she related that to Percy's love life. Then she turned to Annabeth, who was sniffling still, eyes fixed on Percy's sleeping form. I didn't know what Aphrodite said to Annabeth, but soon Athena and her were arguing heatedly while Annabeth was trying to hold back tears.

I stared numbly at the chaos around me. I vaguely noticed a cluster of demigods peeking out from the doorframe, gaping at the sheer number of gods in one place. And naturally, the more gods were congregated in one place, the more attention they attract to themselves. It wasn't long until Zeus arrived, Hera smirking at Annabeth as she walked behind him.

"Why is everyone here?" The room fell silent as Zeus spoke. When no one answered him, he turned on Dionysus. "Well?"

Dionysus didn't even hesitate. "Artemis tried to kill Paul Jameson. Paul Jameson almost cut her in two."

Poseidon glared at Dionysus. "Which is Dionysus's fault, since he forgot he had to meet Artemis tonight, and that's what made Artemis assume Kronos wasn't as dead as we thought."

Zeus turned again to Dionysus, but he seemed to finally take in what Poseidon had said, because he backtracked and looked at me. "You what?"

"The camp was deserted and I heard voices coming from around a fire, which is how most sacrificial rituals are performed. It's his fault for forgetting to meet me when he summoned me."

Zeus still looked skeptical, but he liked me much better than Dionysus. Or any of his other children, for that matter. "Right. Is he alive?"

"Of course he's alive!" Poseidon said indignantly.

"Then why are you all here if the brat is alive?"

I was going to ask him why _he_ was here, but then I remembered that this many gods together was like a beacon of light to other gods.

"He's my son. I will wait for him until he wakes up."

"I injured him. I feel responsible—"

"You are responsible, Artemis. Responsibility is the most important thing in the world. We need to keep him alive. You're not allowed to kill him."

"Technically, she is."

Aphrodite glared at Ares, and continued, "You're not, unless you want to fall in love."

Thunder boomed overhead. "We have already established that you have prohibited messing with her love life."

Aphrodite looked at Zeus dispassionately. "Directly. I didn't swear I wasn't going to have anyone else do it for me."

Zeus sighed. I stared open-mouthed at him. "You're letting her do this? You promised!" I stood up from my chair. "If I break my oath… I swore by the River Styx. I can't break it because of _her_!"

Aphrodite crossed her arms. "You're a goddess. You can't die."

"But I can fade!"

Apollo placed a hand on my shoulder. "Now, we're getting a little morbid. No one's going to fade—"

"Shut up, Apollo. This doesn't concern you. You didn't swear the oath."

"No one forced you to. It's unnatural to be perpetually alone. If something happens to you, it's your own fault." Aphrodite flicked her hair.

"May I ask what is wrong with being a maiden goddess?"

Aphrodite looked horrified. "What is wrong? What is _wrong_? And you call yourself the goddess of wisd—?"

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone's eyes returned to Zeus… until Percy decided to wake up with a groan.

Poseidon seemed to be inspecting Percy's face. "Percy? Are you okay?"

"My head hurts."

"Anything else?" Apollo was hovering over Percy, in full God of Medicine mode.

Percy slowly opened his eyes. "My chest. It doesn't really hurt but…"

"That's my fault. I'm sorry."

Percy craned his head up with difficulty at my voice. "Artemis. You're here." He looked around the room. "And Aphrodite. And Athena. And… Zeus… What is half the Olympian Council doing around my bed?"

Hera came to stand besides the bed. "Oh that's not important." She laughed. "I'm glad you finally saw the light, Percy. She was not good for you."

"He was not good for her. I knew this would happen."

"Your daughter's disrespectful. She doesn't deserve even Luke Castellan."

Aphrodite intervened. "It's not about deserving. He will do great things. I have such big plans for him!"

"Could someone tell me what's going on?" Poseidon said.

I silently agreed and waited for Aphrodite to fill us in. To my surprise, Athena did. "Perseus and Annabeth were in a romantic relationship for half a month. They broke up today."

I looked around for Annabeth, but she was gone. Probably Athena's doing.

Hera snorted. "Oh, _they_ broke up? _He_ broke up with _her_. Finally, he realized she wasn't good for him." I stiffened, but Hera didn't notice. Instead, she turned to Percy, an understanding smile on her lips. "I understand why you said those words to me, Percy, but I forgive you. You thought she was beautiful back then and…"

Hera continued talking to Percy while Athena simmered in anger but I wasn't listening anymore. I stared straight at Percy. How shallow all men were. _Pigs_, I thought when I saw Poseidon smirking at Athena. All respect I had for Percy evaporated, replaced by anger. Soon after I had made Thalia my Lieutenant, I had offered a place among the Hunters to Annabeth in private. She had refused and I had known why.

I remembered Aphrodite fighting with Athena over a crying Annabeth a few minutes ago. I had no doubt now what that was about.

I caught Percy's gaze, but he turned away quickly.

I sneered.

"I'm… tired." Was he? Perhaps I should have killed him.

"Oh, I understand. That girl gave you so much grief today. I understand. My best, Percy Jackson."

Slowly, everyone in the room filed out until the only ones left were Apollo, Poseidon, Percy and I. Apollo was still acting maturely. "No strenuous activity. You got banged up pretty badly. To be honest, I don't know why you're awake. Usually, the Curse of Achilles forces you into a comma until you recover after something this bad."

Most of the time, I appreciated having Apollo around when he was serious, but I wanted to speak to Percy. I gazed silently at my brother, my eyes sliding to the door. Apollo sighed and walked out, muttering something about finding Rachel.

I fixed my eyes on Poseidon, waiting for him to move like Apollo. Poseidon deliberately ignored me in favor of talking to Percy. "Maybe you should come over to my palace, Percy. The reconstruction was much, much faster than I anticipated it being. It only took days."

"Because of Annabeth." His face was turned away from me when he said this, but his tone was oddly regretful.

Poseidon's face was in plane view, however. His face fell so abruptly I had to stifle a laugh, as inappropriate as that was in this situation.

Poseidon looked as if he regretted saying anything. "Well, yes, but that has nothing to do with this. You only got to see it when it was in ruins, and I would like you to see the new version."

"Which Annabeth built."

Poseidon pursed his lips. Even from here, I could hear the storm forming near the camp. Zeus didn't have a monopoly on those. "If you're so _upset_ then you shouldn't have broken up with her."

Percy flinched and sneaked a glance at me. When he saw me glaring, he turned back to his father. "Er, could we maybe… talk about that later?" Poseidon understood.

"Aren't you tired, Artemis? Maybe you should retire to your cabin. Your Hunters must be anxious by now." Poseidon grinned at me, mockingly.

His obvious show of disrespect annoyed me. He wanted me gone and he wasn't even going to bother hiding it. If I refused, he would shoo me out.

I stood up. To my surprise, Poseidon mirrored me. "Let me walk you to the door. I'll be back, Percy."

He had me out the door so fast I didn't even have time to look back at Percy. He closed the door quietly. Because it is clear to me that he wants me gone, I keep on walking without waiting for me.

I was walking down the porch steps when he stopped me. "Artemis."

"Yes, Poseidon?" I didn't turn back to look at him and opted for examining the gentle glow of my cabin from this far away.

"Whatever your interest is, I don't like it. I don't approve. I want you as far away from his as you can possibly be. The daughter of Athena should be of no concern of yours."

"She is a maiden, and I have an obligation to all maidens. I must punish those who wrong them."

"And Percy is my son. Of the sea. Which means it's my duty to protect him if there ever comes a time when he's overwhelmed. You almost killed him today."

I almost flinched, but Hera's words echoed in my mind. _Oh, _they_ broke up? _He_ broke up with _her_._ I felt a sudden fury, one that I hadn't the first time those words had crossed my mind. I had thought that Percy was different. He had taken the sky from me so willingly. Annabeth had been so convinced he would never hurt her, so sure in her conviction that her love would one day be returned. I had wanted to believe that too, having watched the girl since her Hunters had stumbled on Thalia, Hermes's son and Annabeth.

But no. Men were all the same. _Pigs_, I thought, not for the first time tonight.

I wondered if Annabeth was a maiden still, or if she had given herself to him already and that's why he had broken up with her. I hadn't considered this when I was in the room. If I had, I'm pretty sure I would have been able to break Percy's neck in such a spectacular way that Apollo wouldn't have been able to repair the damage, despite Poseidon's presence.

My reasons for talking to Percy increased. I would let him explain himself—because there was a part of me that had become attached to him ever since he had helped rescue me from Atlas and I felt guilty about what I'd done to him today. I would pass judgment and if he hadn't taken Annabeth's maidenhood, I would offer her a place in the Hunters.

I whirled around to face Poseidon. "I need to confirm or deny what happened between him and Annabeth Chase."

Poseidon looked at me levelly, and I knew then that despite what I'd said about passing judgment, I wouldn't be able to kill Percy Jackson. And if I did somehow manage it, I would have to make sure to not let my Hunters go near the sea for the next couple of decades, at the very least.

Poseidon's insistence that Percy spend time in his palace came back to me. There he would be completely out of my reach. Perhaps it wasn't finished, or perhaps it was. I wouldn't put it past Annabeth to finish Poseidon's palace first because she loved Percy.

"Your Hunters may be getting worried."

"Yes, they may." My gaze slid from Poseidon to rest on the airy façade of the Big House. I couldn't see Percy, but I imagined him lying on a bed, waiting nervously for Poseidon.

My last thought before I flashed into my cabin was that Percy Jackson's biggest worry should not be his father.


	2. II The Purple Trail

_**II. The Purple Trail**_

Percy Jackson was nowhere to be seen the next day. Or the day after that.

Poseidon had apparently taken Percy without telling anyone. Originally, I had planned to keep Percy's whereabouts to myself, but one look at Annabeth's pained face had me reconsidering. I expected her to cry, to make a spectacle of herself more than she had yesterday, but there was only determination and an odd kind of sorrow showing on the planes of her face as she led the Athena Cabin in a search party.

This was the girl I wanted in my Hunters. So strong, despite having her heart stepped on by a man. I had hoped to avoid her joining the Hunters only after this had happened to her, had hoped to do so with Thalia too—and to be honest, most of my Hunters—but I knew from experience that doing so almost never happened.

Young Bianca had been the exception to the rule, but look what happened to her. Hades, look at me _now_.

The Athena cabin returned by midnight.

"Did anyone find Percy?" Annabeth asked, even though it was clear by the look on Chiron's face.

"No," The admission shattered Annabeth, I could tell. Despite this, she didn't cry. There was defeat in her eyes. A whirlwind of emotions assaulted my mind, so strong and chaotic that I had to shut off my ability to feel those around me. Dionysus, seated next to me, was frowning at Annabeth.

"I'll be taking a walk." She turned back to her cabin. "Go." A blond boy nodded and led the group of tired demigods.

"Chiron, will we send out search parties tomorrow?" Annabeth's voice was hopeful.

Chiron looked at Annabeth sadly. "Yes, child." A silent exchange happened between the two. When it was over, Chiron faced me. "Lady Artemis, would you allow your Hunters to help with the search?"

I fixed my gaze on him. Would I? Should I? Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Annabeth tense. I knew where Percy Jackson was. Making my Hunters search for him above land was a waste of time. On the other hand, Dionysus wanted them out of his hair and they were bored after staying in one place for more than a week.

Despite this, and at the risk of alienating Annabeth, I said, "No." When I turned to look at Annabeth, she was trying to hide the betrayed expression on her face. "Do you understand my reasons for doing this?"

"I—" For a moment, I thought she would lie and tell me she did, but at the last second she said, "No, I don't. You like Percy!"

Did I like Percy Jackson?

I used to. Now, I wasn't so sure. _No_, I thought.

"He has shown how very much he fits the mold of a common man."

Annabeth's eyes were glistening. "He's kind, he's loyal, he's respectful. He refused godhood for me!"

I gritted my teeth and tried to control myself. Dionysus suddenly flinched and made his excuses in a heartbeat, dragging Chiron with him. The centaur gave Annabeth a regretful look, but I hardly noticed. Dionysus had immediately noticed the way I had changed moods so completely. Annabeth, too, knew I was angry, but she didn't seem to care enough to apologize. "You don't know what you're talking about, girl." I stood up from the couch. "_He never loved you_."

The words were harsh. Annabeth stepped back as if I had hit her with a sledgehammer. She lowered her eyes to the floor. "At least partly," she said in a meek voice.

I had hurt her, but if that's what it took to get her to understand, then so be it. I knew I made an intimidating picture, even though I looked younger than her, but when Annabeth looked up at me with tears in her eyes, there was no fear or challenge in them. Just a girl seeking reassurance from one she knew was wiser than her.

The tears started to fall.

Pityingly, I kneeled in front of her and Annabeth threw herself in my arms. She buried her head in the crook of my neck. The sobs began, and I started to caress her hair, trying to soothe her without forcing on her the feeling of freedom and relief. "I thought he was different. I really, really thought so. I gave up Luke. _Luke_, who I thought I loved until _he_ came along. If I had chosen to forget about Percy, to be with Luke, then he wouldn't be dead and Kronos would have taken longer to rise. I sacrificed the lives of so many for him, Lady Artemis."

I wasn't too sure about that. Maybe Annabeth was responsible for Luke's death in part, but she had only saved lives by helping end the conflict soon. I wanted to make her understand this, but she cut me off before I got a chance to speak. "The worst thing is that I can't figure out why. One moment he loved me, and the next he didn't. I know when it happened. I could feel when he stopped kissing me the way he was supposed to."

That tugged at something in my mind. Maybe I was wrong and Percy Jackson wasn't a complete imbecile. If what Annabeth was saying was true, then maybe Aphrodite and Eros were playing matchmakers again.

Annabeth continued, "I tried to fix it. I thought I wasn't spending enough time with him but… but…"

"I understand." I decided that this was the perfect time to ask her, "Are you a maiden, daughter of Athena?"

Annabeth pushed herself out of my arms. She landed on the hard floor, but quickly sat up and crawled away from me. "I will not join the Hunters." She stood up.

"You aren't." Percy Jackson was in a lot of trouble once again.

Annabeth walked to the door, and with her back turned to me, said, "I will not join the Hunters." And with that, she slammed the door, leaving me alone in the Big House.

_**The Waning Moon**_

As it turned out, I didn't have to make known Percy's location. The next day at breakfast, Chiron announced that Poseidon had sent him a letter explaining he had taken Percy to his underwater palace so that he could heal from his fight with me in relative tranquillity. By the way Chiron kept shooting me worried looks, I knew he had watered down the contents of the letter involving me.

I was determined to catch Percy Jackson, so instead of leaving camp like I usually would, I stayed. I knew I could potentially have to wait years before Poseidon let him out of Atlantis, but I refrained from thinking such thoughts. My Hunters weren't happy with me, but none would question me. The campers were tired of having the Hunters around, but now that I was present, not one demigod dared say a remotely negative comment about them. There was a big influx of demigods into the camp due to the oath Percy had made the Olympians swear, so I tried to recruit some new girls into my Hunters. Despite my best efforts, very few joined.

Dionysus was annoyed with me. He wanted my Hunters out of his camp. To placate him, I attempted to give archery classes to the campers, but by the end of the first class I had already turned two boys into animals. As I stood on a deserted archery field with two foxes running in circles around me (jackalopes weren't coming to me today), I decided I was doing more harm than good. Quickly, I handed the archery lessons back to Chiron.

By the sixth day of doing nothing, I was convincing myself that moving out of camp after waiting so much to corner Percy Jackson was the wrong thing to do. I wasn't used to staying in one place for so long. Overall, I was in a worse mood than most of my Hunters. Considering that most of them were demigods diagnosed with ADHD, my impatience was something to be witnessed.

I saw him on the seventh day. He was seating on a rock, staring blankly at the sea. I was taken aback. For all my posturing and stubbornness, I had never expected him to show up, much less this soon. Without turning to face me, he said, "You wanted to talk to me, Artemis?" He didn't use my title, which annoyed me before I let it go. He had earned the right to…

No, I was mad at him. I tended to forget that. "Your reasons for your break up with Annabeth Chase; what are they?" I crossed my arms.

Percy sighed and faced me, still seating on the rock. "I don't like her anymore."

"Why?" I pressed him.

Percy shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't." The beach curved to his right so even facing me, he was able to turn his head sideways and look at the sea. He seemed bored out of his mind. Shouldn't he have been worried I would kill him? Fascinated, I decided to ask him. "I didn't do anything bad enough to get you to kill me."

I would be the judge of that. "About Annabeth, how far did you get with her?" He studied me. I felt awkward, for some reason. It wasn't something I would normally admit to. Usually, mortals would squirm before me until I was satisfied enough to answer their questions. On the rare occasions that I couldn't tell what a mortal was thinking because of their body language, I would tap into their emotions. I tried to do that with Percy, but Poseidon had taken the liberty to shield his mind from me.

Frustrated, I resigned myself to wait for his answer. This interrogation wasn't going as I had thought it would, and it had barely started. The worst thing was that Percy wasn't staring at me, but past me. No, not even that. He was lost in his own thoughts. I confirmed this when I childishly waved a hand in front of his face. My hand snapped back to my side. Embarrassed, I looked around to see if anyone had seen me do something so immature, but Percy and I were alone.

"Nothing more than a few kisses, Lady Artemis." Percy looked down when he said it, so I knew he was lying.

"Percy," I warned. I wanted him to tell me the truth, but I also wanted him to keep his mouth shut. Now that he was here, I didn't want to kill him. It wasn't often I wished to seal myself away from the hurt men caused women, but I was reluctant—more than that—to listen to Percy. I wanted him to be innocent so badly.

Now that I think about it, maybe I was wrong. Maybe this did start when he took the sky from me or when I saved him from the manticore years ago. Now that I recall my feelings of this day, I can say they weren't completely rational. I was terrified of what Percy would tell me. I was terrified of having to end his life. I was terrified that I wouldn't have the courage to do so.

"I didn't take her virginity." I guess he saw something in my expression that made him think I didn't believe him, even though doing so would be a really stupid thing to do. Men never told me they had. They always lie. "I swear on the river Styx. To the best of my knowledge, she still is one."

I was so surprised I allowed it to show on my face. Percy gave me a rueful smile. "Surprised? I guess hiding for a week didn't paint me in the best light."

"Why did you run?" Mostly I wanted to fill in the silence. I knew why he had stayed so long under the sea. Poseidon had never trusted me after Orion.

Percy laughed. "My dad doesn't like you, Artemis." He turned his back on me. I stepped around the rock. Sighing, I sat down to his left.

"So how's your back?" The words left my lips before I could catch myself.

Percy stiffened. He tried to shrug it off, to make a joke out of our fight, but I could see he wasn't fine. "Better."

My eyes zeroed in on the small of his back, hidden behind his clothes. Had I left a scar? Guilt flooded me once again. I had almost killed him. The pain he had given me was nothing to an immortal, even if it hadn't felt that way at the time.

Quickly and without subtlety, I steered the conversation away from our fight. "Why did you break up with Annabeth?"

Percy relaxed. "I told you I don't like her anymore."

There was something crucially important in this vein of conversation. I was missing one piece of information.

I decided to test Annabeth's words. "Didn't you refuse godhood for her?"

"Partly." He looked down at his lap. "I don't know why I stopped liking her. It was so sudden. I know I loved her. Something that strong couldn't have been anything _but_ love. Now it's gone." He looked at me. "There's something missing. It's killing me." I didn't know if he was kidding.

"Missing?"

"Yeah." Percy frowned. "It happened while we were in my cabin. We were just talking. Annabeth has—had—this habit of kissing me every time she wanted me to shut up. So every few minutes she would kiss me. I was fine with that. I loved her. But it just… happened." He pressed his lips together. "I'm so mad. It just disappeared. I want it _back_."

Percy didn't seem to mind spilling his relationship troubles to a maiden goddess.

We lapsed into silence. "How did you break it to her?"

Percy flinched. "It was terrible. It's the first time I've broken up with anyone. Annabeth was my first kiss, my first girlfriend. I didn't know how to do it, so I just… told her. I did it in her cabin, when we were alone." He hesitated. "Her shouts attracted the whole camp." There was something wrong about him telling me this. He wasn't supposed to be this open. I was oddly happy—yet it still felt like a legitimate feeling—that he was trusting me. I got the feeling, however, that he hadn't ever done this with someone he knew as little as he knew me.

_Why?_ I asked myself. I didn't dwell too much on the question.

"That was the reason I was in the archery field." Percy pulled me away from my thoughts. "I didn't want to ruin the day any more than I had." He chuckled. "That didn't work out as well as I hoped."

"Why did you shoot me?"

He looked at me quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"You shot an arrow at me."

"You think I would have been able to come close to hitting you? Seriously? I'm worse with a bow than you are with a sword."

His words chaffed. He didn't have to remind me. I made exceptions for insulting me with frequency—such as forgiving Annabeth for shouting at me a few days ago. Percy wouldn't have gotten excused if it had been any other insult, but this one I heard more often than I cared to admit from _everyone_. It just passed over me.

"You weren't aiming at me?"

He looked at me like I was insane. "You think I would pick a fight with a goddess?"

"I seem to remember you stabbing Ares when you were twelve, son of Poseidon."

"Okay, but that was out of necessity."

I wasn't too sure about that, but I said, "I was on the _other side_ of the targets. _Behind you._"

Percy blushed. "I told you I was bad with a bow."

I started laughing. "No one can be that bad, Jackson. I was behind you." I didn't know why I was being this nice, or why the next second I was dragging Percy from the beach.

He struggled against my vice-like hold on his wrist. "What are you doing? Where are we going?"

"The archery fields!" If I had ever gotten drunk before that time, I would have equated the heavy, giddy feeling I felt with tipsiness. If I had been in my right mind, I would have seen the purple particles swirling in the air.

I didn't.

I also would have noticed the lack of demigods as I pulled a very confused Percy across the camp. I know how that feels now, after countless hangovers, but back then my euphoria seemed like a gift from my father, something he had given to me so that I would loosen up. Before today, I believed it was a blessing from him. I believed it to be sign, that what I was doing was right. In my mind, the feeling of euphoria, of rightness, had been associated and locked with Percy Jackson. I craved it like I hadn't ever craved anything before, not even freedom.

I was happy as I showed Percy the proper grip for a bow. This was nothing like my lessons to the insufferable boys of the camp. This was pleasurable, this felt good and not at all forced. Comfortable. I spent the whole day teaching him how to shoot, alone, not a single soul in the world except the two of us. Percy was terrible, but I didn't mind. I never once got impatient with him. Spending time with him was my reward for everything.

Everything I had done in my life up to that point seemed like a test. This was my reward. Percy Jackson, who had taken the sky from me, who didn't look at me with distrust even after I had almost killed him, was my salvation. From what didn't matter.

It was a curse, but not one I wish even now to shake off. I know that breaking my bond with Percy would be inexcusable, and I much rather give up my life than go back to living the way I used to—with no true companions, alone but for my Hunters; girls that had been hurt by insensible men. I would much rather suffer and keep feeling the way I do now than be healed and forget.

I am sure that the woman I was before that fateful day would be disgusted with the woman I have become, but I myself look back on my five thousand years with sad amusement. How naïve I was. Maybe I'm hallucinating. Maybe this is all a trick, maybe this is wrong and I'm punishing myself. Maybe I'll be laughed at in years to come, a story to tell to young girls who think boys have cooties after they have crossed into adulthood.

I can't say I care.

I love Percy, even after all he has done to me. No man has ever made me go through the pain he has. Yet I don't regret a single moment spent with him. I don't regret the days before him, either. In my foolish ways, I was happy. I have become everything my younger self feared to become; a woman dependent on a man, one that became fragile when she set eyes on a man and something clicked.

To be honest, even now I'm disgusted.

But I love him.

_**The Waning Mood**_

_**A/N:**_ That's a little depressing. I didn't like this chapter, but oh well. I can't figure out what's wrong with it. I changed the summary because so many people were confused. Now it's vague.

I hope the last part of this chapter didn't leave you staring at the screen like "what?" To clear things up, Artemis is reflecting on her life. So what I'm writing is actually what she's thinking. She's remembering how her life changed since she fought with Percy in the last chapter. This means we are going to get insights into her life in the future. I did this because I felt that you needed to know that Percy's and Artemis's relationship in this fic isn't completely natural. I'll leave it to you, at least for now, to theorise on what is happening to Artemis.

And people, how about you review for a change?


	3. III The Warning Sun

_**III. The Warning Sun**_

I stood leaning against a tree on the edge of the archery field, arms crossed over my chest.

"Your hand's creeping."

Percy stood a few feet away, an arrow knocked on his bow. "It hurts."

"That's to be expected. No matter how much sword fighting you do, there are certain muscles that you don't use there that are essential to archery."

Percy looked miffed. "Right, because there aren't many more muscles that you use in swordsfighting that you don't use in archery."

"That's neither here nor there."

Percy huffed and said under his breath, "Of course not."

He raised his bow and knocked the arrow once again. This time his hand kept the string taut as he aimed. He set the arrow loose and I immediately knew it wouldn't hit the target.

I was right. "You twisted it."

Percy sighed and plopped down on the grass. I joined him.

"Giving up so soon?"

He started picking at the grass, wrenching a blade from the ground and cutting it in half. "I'm not made for archery. I don't even know why I'm practicing."

"It's useful." I lay down besides him.

"For stealth." Slowly, he wove together a trio of blades, and then threw them away. He laid down besides me.

I turned towards him, propping myself on my elbow. His face was set into a frown, his eyes closed. "That's useful." I resisted the urge to touch him. I didn't want to freak him out. A maiden goddess didn't usually touch boys, even in companionship.

"The war's over and I don't hunt monsters. I don't need stealth."

We stayed quiet for a while. I didn't know what he was thinking, but I was trying to stop myself from giving him a lecture on how irresponsible that was.

"Why are you here?" His question derailed my train of thought.

"You usually don't practice unless I'm around. I was curious. So why are _you_ here? Aren't you leaving too?"

If I concentrated, as I was now, I could make out the cacophony of noises being made by the departing campers.

"Yeah, just came to say goodbye."

My heart sank to my stomach. I had been hoping he would stay for the year. I knew he hadn't packed. That, coupled with the stress the war had taken on him and the strain his ADHD and dyslexia would cause when he was at school, had given me hopes he would stay year-round.

There was no trace of my disappointment when I asked, "Why not do so before, though? It's getting pretty late. You should pack."

He sighed and turned to me, mirroring my position. "I… forgot. Mostly because I wanted to forget. I would like to stay. I mean, I don't feel like seating in front of a desk all day long. Solving math problems. I can't. The thought makes me sick. More than it usually does."

"That's probably the Curse of Achilles. You are meant for battle now. That's why it's a curse, Percy. Any semblance of normalcy you had before is gone now." Being Apollo's sister had its perks.

Percy looked like I had just confirmed his biggest fear. "I have to try."

I nodded. There was a part of me that was screaming at me to latch onto Percy and never let go. The bigger part of me was wondering where that came from and why I couldn't crush it, since it was so tiny. It refused to be silenced.

To distract myself, I said, "Do they have archery at Goode?" The word sounded wrong coming from my lips, like something someone as closed off from this part of modern civilization shouldn't utter.

"No." He chuckled. I was glad he had quit frowning. "For mortals, archery is only a sport. Not a very popular one, so most schools don't offer it."

"But you'll keep practicing?"

"Everyday." He gave me a smile.

I liked his grin. I usually didn't see many men smile, except for Apollo. Most gods frowned or smirked at me. Most mortal men cowered in fear before me. I spent a second thinking how handsome he looked when he smiled, but I shook myself away from that inappropriate train of thought. Who was I to chastise, and kill, men for being idiots around women if I lost my cool around one who was a friend? "I'll hold you to that."

I jumped to my feet and held out a hand for him. He took it and I pulled him to his feet. He stumbled when I let go of him. "Eight-year-olds can be deceptively strong."

"Especially when they are several millennia old." It cost me to say the next words, and at the time I didn't know why, "Now go say goodbye to Annabeth." The words left a bitter taste on my mouth.

He opened his mouth in protest. I cut him off, "Please, Percy."

I thought he was going to do as I said, but suddenly a determined look crossed his face. "It'll get her hopes u`p. I don't want to hurt her more than I already have."

A wave of something I couldn't determine then but was clearly not nice hit me. It was quickly followed by affection—pure, natural affection. I had determined yesterday, when I had visited Aphrodite, that she had taken no part in their breakup. Whatever had happened to what Percy had felt for Annabeth was gone now, but I knew he felt guilty. I respected that. How many men broke a maiden's heart and felt no remorse?

Percy was different.

I didn't know how right I was back then.

"Go. She'll appreciate it." I didn't know if she would appreciate it or not, but she couldn't get more depressed than she currently was. The girl was a mess. "You'll hurt her more if you cut her off completely." I hoped I was right. I had always liked Annabeth despite the worrying urge to kill her I had whenever I thought of her in the last few days.

Percy looked at the ground before meeting my eyes. "Will you be here by the time I come back?"

I shook my head. My eyes slid over to the far-away cabins. One was glowing gold in the sunlight. "I got a summons from my brother. Apollo says it's urgent."

_**The Waning Moon**_

I flashed into Olympus and took a moment to observe the once proud city of the gods. Annabeth had barely begun fixing the damage Kronos had dealt to the streets, having spent more time than was fair on Poseidon's palace. From where I stood, in between Apollo's palace and my own, I couldn't see any rubble. I knew that further up in the line of palaces there were sections that were unrecognizable. Demeter's palace was basically in shambles.

Apollo's, in contrast, was a glowing structure by day, and untouched by Kronos. Behind me and across the road, was my palace, a mirror of Apollo's. It was a dull collection of towers and buildings by day and a glowing beacon of light by night. I knew them both like the palm of my hand. In the back of my mind I hoped that Apollo wouldn't ask Annabeth to redesign his, since that would mean the same changes would be forced on mine. I liked it as it stood now, with the lonic columns, vaulted ceilings and arches for doors.

I touched my hand to the glowing gates. Warmth spread up my hand and enveloped me. My body started to glow. The light intensified slowly, and I closed my eyes when the light became too bright. When I opened them, I was sanding in Apollo's billiard room.

Apollo himself sat on a simple wooden chair, balancing himself on its two back legs. He stared at the wall resolutely, not even acknowledging me. In his hand stood a glass with a purplish-black substance.

I stopped dead. "Is that Dionysus's Whiskey?"

"You want some?" He didn't even glance at me.

Concerned, I went to his side, seating in front of him. "What is it?"

"Rachel got a prophecy."

I was hoping he wouldn't say that. "Rachel gets a prophecy all the time." To my own ears, my voice sounded strained.

"This one's bad." He set his feet on the floor and brought his chair's front legs crashing down on the marbled floor.

I tried to take the glass of whiskey from him, but he batted my hand away. I sighed. "How bad?"

"Depends."

I hated it when Apollo got tipsy. It got him in a bad mood. "On, brother?"

Apollo raised his right hand. A glowing sphere appeared over his palm. Taking my chance now that he was distracted, I yanked the glass from his hand. Most of the whiskey spilled to the floor. The ball of light flickered and died.

For the first time since I stepped foot on his palace, my brother looked at me. It wasn't often Apollo glared at me. "If you wanted some, all you had to do was ask." I flinched.

"Apollo, the prophecy."

"Right, the damn prophecy." He cleaned up the whiskey with a flick of his hand. On his right hand the sphere of light reappeared then faded. A white slip of paper fell into Apollo's hand. "Here you go."

On the paper were scrawled six lines in a handwriting I'd never before seen. It had been clearly written in a hurry. "I can't read it."

Apollo looked at me, as if he was gauging if I was messing with him. His reaction was unfounded, since I never had. He relented soon enough. He waved his hand and the unintelligible scrawl morphed into my brother's cursive.

_The daughter of Athena pays the price_

_Of ambition having failed twice_

_A Hunter decides an immortal's fate_

_An Olympian is crowned irate_

_The third tragedy looms ahead_

_When the daughter of Zeus is wed_

"But…" I stared at Apollo. "That's impossible. That's…"

"Too big to be a minor prophecy?" I nodded and Apollo looked away. "It isn't minor." He looked back at me instantly, as if he was scared of what my reaction might be to his words. I dropped my head. No matter how much I disliked Apollo's careless attitude, seeing him like this was ten times worse. He looked like prey.

"Can we have more than one Great Prophecy at the same time?"

"No." There was something in his voice that made me look up.

"Explain."

Apollo bit his lip, which I'd never seen him do before, but couldn't be good. "Something similar happened with the first Great Prophecy. Around fifteen years ago, a sister Prophecy was made. _That_, not Zeus breaking the oath, was what incensed Hades so much. The sister prophecy led us to believe the prophecy was close to completion, and with Thalia's existence coming to the surface, it all pointed to her being the prophecy child."

"I never knew. Why?"

Apollo scowled. "We are gods, Artemis, and we may be old, but that only makes us panic all the more when we find ourselves threatened. I only told those directly involved in the prophecy."

"Zeus, Poseidon and Hades."

Apollo nodded. "I'm glad I decided to include Hades and Poseidon. If I hadn't, well, we would be in Tartarus right now."

I had been leaning towards him, but his admission sent me flinching into the back of my seat. "What did that prophecy say?"

"It spoke of the early death of the child of prophecy by a jealous relative's hand. After Father turned Thalia into a tree, everyone was surprised when the Fates invalidated the sister prophecy."

"Why then?" I tilted my head to the side. My hair spilled from my shoulder.

"Poseidon didn't tell anyone until a few days ago. Amphitrite apparently found out about Percy shortly after he was born. The possibility of her finding out was what triggered the sister prophecy coming into existence." Apollo looked me in the eyes. "If Amphitrite hadn't hesitated the night she found out about Percy; if Poseidon hadn't gotten there in time, the Titans would have won. Great Prophecies, unlike everyday ones, don't allow for any changes. Neither Nico nor Thalia could have saved us from Kronos. Only Percy."

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. I brought my knees to my chest. "What does this mean for us now?"

Apollo stood up and went to pour himself a drink. I followed him with my eyes, disapproving. I didn't try to stop him, though. If Apollo had hidden the other sister prophecy from me, then maybe he would hide parts of this one. It was in my best interest to let him get drunk. "This one isn't nearly as damning as the other one."

I gave him a hollow laugh. "Then I'm glad I didn't know of the other one." It was a lie, a morbid joke, but Apollo seemed to agree with me. He didn't understand. Always, he had tried to protect me. My brother seemed to think that keeping me ignorant was better than worrying me. I disagreed.

I didn't bat an eyelash as Apollo turned my chair into a plush sofa. I sank into the plush seat without complaint. He sat besides me. "This is only the second Great Prophecy I've ever gotten, so anything I tell you is subject to change. I don't have enough experience to know for sure. My belief is that Great Prophecies are so incorrigible that another path, paired with another prophecy—always a worse one, I'm coming to find—is made instantly. The last sister prophecy was revealed shortly before Amphitrite found out. If she had killed Percy, the actual prophecy would have become null and the sister prophecy would have taken its place. If the same thing is happening here, then…"

"It's probably going to be decided soon." I nodded my head slowly. "So this is natural, for a Great Prophecy?"

Apollo looked pained before he smoothed out his expression. "Well, no." I was about to press him for more, when he continued on his own. "The Fates don't like it when you mess with them, see."

I pursed my lips. Really.

Apollo grew angry when he saw the change in my expression. "I'm not kidding, Artemis! One thing is to change a normal prophecy, even one for a Great Quest. Another thing completely is to alter a Great Prophecy. They didn't want this. The Fates have these very neat couple of plans for each person in the universe." He hissed at me. "For every big choice anyone makes, the plan for everyone changes. It's okay if a hero fails on a quest. It's okay even if a hero fails on a Great Quest. The Fates have a backup plan for that, but not for a Great Prophecy. It's _not_ okay for someone to mess with a Great Prophecy. Whoever triggered the sister prophecy, _they completely fucked over the Fates._ They are not happy ladies right now."

I stared at my brother. I had never seen him this upset. Cautiously, I said, "If this happened once before, and nothing happened, why are you so worried?"

"We are at a crossroads. Whatever will decide which prophecy will become the real one will be happening soon."

I inched back onto the sofa. "How soon?"

He took a sip of his whiskey. "Days? Years? I don't know. It has only happened once before."

"Who knows?" Apollo understood immediately.

Apollo met my eyes. "You. Me. Who else?" He shrugged.

My mouth fell open. "Why not father, or Poseidon and Hades?"

Apollo sniffed. Even under stress, he was still a conceited idiot. "I don't see the relation between them and the prophecy. I saw no need to tell them."

"Not even Zeus? His name is mentioned in it!" I stood up.

"He gets an honorary mention. What matters is his daughter." He turned away from me.

I blinked at him owlishly. "Are you suggesting that's me?"

Apollo's head snapped back. His hands were gripping my shoulders before I knew what he was doing. "Are you planning on breaking your oath? Is there anyone who is trying to seduce you? Who _dares_ to try to touch you? I will—" He shook me. "_Tell me!_"

I slapped his hands away. "There is no one I am considering breaking my oath for." It was true. At the time, my feelings for Percy remained platonic. I didn't know what my desire to be close to him meant, nor what it would turn into.

Apollo seemed to deflate. Moments later, he was back to his carefree self. "Oh, okay. I'm glad. Had me worried for a second there. Orion was a douche."

I glared at him. Orion hadn't been as terrible as Apollo liked to make him out to be. He _had_ tried to kiss me, but he hadn't forced me to do anything once I rejected him. Apollo had gone too far by tricking me into killing him. We usually argued about the topic, but I left it alone for once.

I sat back down. "A daughter of Zeus. You think it means Thalia, don't you? That's why you called me here." As soon as I spoke, Apollo turned back into a brooding shade of who he usually was.

Apollo looked at my clasped hands. Involuntarily, I started to fidget when my mind wandered back to Orion, which only led to thinking of Percy. Why was he so often in my thoughts? After a long pause, Apollo answered me. "Something this important wouldn't be about a minor daughter, and Thalia is the only one that's high profile enough and single."

I bristled. "Brother, may I remind you my Hunters are off-limits? Thalia is a Hunter, a maiden, and I will not let anyone touch her."

"But what if that's the point? She may fall in love and _you_ may be the cause of the tragedy the prophecy speaks of."

I stood up with deliberate slowness. My hands fisted on his shirt, and he didn't try to throw me off. "You dare suggest I release one of my Hunters from their oath?"

"I want what's best for you." Apollo placed one of his hands over both of mine, and gently stroked them. His eyes were soft now, noting his change into the God of Medicine. "She chose to join the Hunt to avoid the first Great Prophecy. She would be coming full circle if she is involved in the second one when she leaves the Hunt." The concern disappeared from his eyes. Back to Pissed Off God of Prophecy. "The Fates like things nice and tidy."

I snorted in disgust and released him, but didn't dismiss his advice. "I must think about this."

I turned on my heel, ready to go out the door, when Apollo's firm hands turned me around. I didn't resist, mostly because I was unsure if not complying to his wishes could mean another war. Very seriously, he said, "I don't think you get how bad this prophecy is. This speaks of a new Olympian. An Olympian! Hecate, Nike, Iris—they're not Olympians, and they probably wont ever be."

"Technically—" I weakly tried to protest.

Apollo, however, would have none of it. His blue eyes burned into mine. "No one cares about the thrones. For someone to be powerful enough to force any one of us to step down; or, Gods forbid, send one of us to Tartarus… Thalia is a daughter of Zeus and a Hunter. One of her closest friends is a daughter of Athena." I briefly considered correcting him, since Annabeth was Thalia's 'best friend,' but didn't think he would appreciate it, or would understand. Not that _I_ did. "Annabeth Chase's fatal flaw is _hubris_, sister."

I shook my head, tearing my eyes away from his. I will never admit it to Apollo—not like I can anymore—but during that conversation, for the first time in my immortal life, I felt like the younger sibling. For the span of a few minutes, Apollo behaved like the older brother he joked he was. I was the child.

"I must think about this." The sob that sprung from my throat came out of nowhere. For the briefest of seconds, my mind was filled with surprise. Then the whirlwind of emotions took over. I recalled every second of my disastrous fight with Percy, and my heart beat faster when my nails dug into his Achilles's heel; my discussion with Poseidon; painstakingly slow hours waiting for Percy to come back from the sea; my meeting with Percy at the beach; and a curious purple trail.

My heart lodged itself in my throat when I tried to speak once again. The trail, the trail, the trail. It was important! _Important_, my mind screamed at me: Diana, far more uptight than my Greek self, was trying to tell me something, but even she didn't know what. She was equally confused.

And the prophecy. Annabeth and Thalia, were they destined to suffer more pain than they already had? How could I let that happen? Apollo, my careless, unfazeable brother had turned into a much more annoying version of my father with his mood swings.

My brother cradled me in his arms. He was as warm as I was cold, but I felt safe anyways. "Artemis." Apollo's voice managed to be both soothing and forceful. "Will you let the world burn because of one girl?"

My head snapped up. Apollo seemed startled. Maybe because of the tears running down my cheeks. Maybe because they had so suddenly stopped. "The world will burn. Don't you see?"

Apollo was looking at me like I had gone insane. He was justified in believing that, the way I spoke of the possible end of western civilization with glee. "You know, I think I should IM Dionysus. I'm running out of wi—"

"No, you idiot. _To storm or fire the world must fall._"

Apollo went marble still. "That's not—"

"There are basically no precedents. What if the two prophecies are part of a bigger one? Perhaps Rachel didn't receive it all at the same time."

I was smiling from ear to ear, but Apollo met my words with a horrified expression on his face. "_What?!_ No, no, no, no, _no._ _Absolutely not._ That's ridiculous. _No._"

Apollo threw me on the floor absentmindedly and started pacing around the room. I frowned. "Why? What's wrong with my theory? I thought you'd be happy. The Fates wouldn't be a problem then, right?"

"There's nothing wrong with your theory, but pray to father you're wrong." Apollo continued before I had a chance to do much more than splutter. "Having the Fates in a tizzy is infinitely better than having the Doors of Death open _and_ a new Olympian crowned. By the gods, I hope now that whoever set this in motion finishes it."

His pacing increased to a point where even with my godly eyes, I couldn't make out Apollo as much more than a golden blur.

"That's no way to think!" I grabbed a hold of his arm. He dragged me a couple of paces before he became aware of my weight.

"No. Discussion closed. I'm not speaking of this matter with you alone ever again."

"Apollo—"

"Hush." He said that as if he had a right to make me shut up. He didn't; I was the eldest. "Out!"

My mouth fell open. "You would throw me out for something like this?"

Apollo didn't bat an eyelash. "You don't think that the possible end of the world is enough to throw you out?" I thought I had succeeded in deflecting his attention elsewhere, but Apollo shouted at me once again, "Out!"

"Apollo." I growled. Deep inside me, I felt the power of the moon bubbling, straining against me, asking for my permission to tear at Apollo.

Suddenly, a warm glow enveloped me. I fought against it, but Apollo was aggressive, something he had never been with me. Next thing I knew, I was kneeling in front of my brother's palace outside the gates.

I gathered the moon's power in my hands. Silver orbs came to existence on each one. With a sudden jerk, I threw both of them at the glowing gates. There was a crackle of thunder and the gates became a swirling void of silver and gold. Without warning, the gold blasted the silver back at me.

I caught a glimpse of a blonde figure to my right. Instead of letting my power destroy the road between my palace and Apollo's, I chose to absorb it. Destroying part of the city she was supposed to rebuild wasn't going to help me recruit Annabeth into the Hunters.

I turned to her, the road pristine. She looked at me then at Apollo's palace. With a shrug, she brushed off my odd behavior and made her way to me. Surreptitiously, I erased the tear tracks from my face.

"Lady Artemis." Annabeth said curtly.

"Have you reconsidered my offer?" I inspected Annabeth. Her clothes were not rumpled, unlike the last time I had seen her a few days ago. Her hair was neatly curled and she looked well-rested, with no bags under her eyes. The clear grey eyes were as tired as they had been when she had come back from looking for Percy an entire day. I assumed that Annabeth getting any sleep at all was Athena's doing. Father knew what kind of dirt she had on Hypnos.

I really, really hoped she would say yes. Percy would never love her again.

I wouldn't let him.

The thought startled me. I didn't think of Percy that way. "I'm afraid my answer is still the same, my Lady."

I tilted my head, honestly surprised. Was the girl stupid? How many times had I offered to have her join my Hunters? Four times; that was more than I had ever offered to anyone else. A part of me rejoiced for some reason.

At seeing my expression, Annabeth tried to hide her sneer, but she wasn't a good actress. She was an open book. I could tell, before I even pierced into her mind, that she thought me pathetic. She, a _demigod_, thought a _goddess_, an _Olympian_, pathetic. I could understand why Hera hated her. How dared she act as if she was mightier than I?

I would crush her. I swore I would.

I felt my lips press themselves into a thin line. "Very well." Annabeth could be bitchy, but I could be frosty.

Annabeth sensed the change in me almost instantly, being a daughter of Athena. Being the goddess of the Hunt, I could smell fear. Usually I only used it on monsters, but I was blinded by rage. If Hera, the protector of women, wanted her to suffer, so could the protector of maidens.

No one was allowed to look down on me, and Annabeth Chase would learn this the hard way. What did I care if it was the last one she would ever learn?

I knew that I was about to change into my divine form. Rage naturally made it harder for me to remain in a form mortals could gaze at. Annabeth closed her eyes and threw herself on the ground just before I exploded into a brilliant light.

Annabeth was alive, but not for much longer. I was a goddess. In my divine form, I would kill her if she opened her eyes. If she didn't open her eyes, I would kill her when she wasn't able to defend herself. She wasn't Percy, who had proven being able to injure me. And even he wouldn't have been able to lay a finger on me if I had realized my turning into my divine form would kill him (not that I would have wanted to kill him, or that the fight would have ever happened if I had known he wasn't Krios).

I took a step towards her when Athena appeared in front of her daughter's body.

"Enough already, Artemis."

I sneered at her. "Get away from the girl, Athena. She has offended me."

Athena raised one eyebrow and smiled at me. I knew she was holding back a chuckle. "You are not the first Olympian that has been offended by Annabeth, and you certainly wont be the last."

I growled at her. "Be very careful, Athena. You wont be able to forever protect that girl. If I don't get to her, Hera will. I promise you." Athena was still looking at me with that infuriating expression, so my next words were out of spite, but no less meaningful because of it. "I swear it on the River Styx. I _will_ take my revenge on her. She will curse this day."

Athena's smile dropped from her face. "You shouldn't have done that."

I smirked. "Who are you to tell me what to do? You think you're so wise. Don't make me laugh. There is nothing more meaningless in this world than wisdom. The world would keep spinning if you faded right this moment."

Athena started to glow a silvery white. "It is because of idiots like you, because of people who think so little of their words, that we have wars. I will not let you harm my daughter. I swear upon the River Styx that I will not let you kill my daughter."

I gave her my coldest smile. "I guess someone won't have any ambrosia or nectar for a decade."

"Yes, someone will." My hands started glowing silver as Athena's glowed an opaque grey. I clapped my hands together and Agnotita materialized itself in the form of a bow. My quiver of arrows appeared strapped to my back. I fired off six arrows in close succession, but Athena deflected them with Aegis. Her spear materialized itself out of thin air.

Athena charged at me. I jumped back several times, each time avoiding being hit by the tip of her spear by a hairsbreadth. I aimed my bow at her and fired once again. My arrow shot past her shoulder. By the time Athena figured out what I was doing, it was almost too late.

My arrow lodged itself into the road and a boom that had probably made Annabeth's ears bleed echoed through Olympus. A silver blast of energy exploded from it in a perfect sphere. The sphere grew at a remarkable rate, destroying everything in its path.

I didn't know if Athena saw my macabre grin before she placed herself in front of her daughter, Aegis, protecting them both for a second before it became overwhelmed. An instant before it happened, though, gray swirls of energy wrapped around the sphere of light I had made but no longer controlled.

My silver sphere was completely covered by Athena's essence. It stopped growing. I had time to hear Athena's agonizing scream as she crushed my power with hers. The goddess of wisdom fell to her knees in pain before getting up once again. When before Athena had held Aegis proudly, now I could tell it was a chore to keep it covering her. Her spear lay all the way across the road, out of her reach. I knew Athena probably had the power to summon it to her and attack me one last time, but to do that could signify Annabeth's death.

I advanced with the agility I alone possessed as the goddess of the Hunt, jumping the gigantic gaping hole that my sphere of power had created. I kicked Aegis away, panting, and plunged Agnotita, now converted into a knife into Athena. Ichor flowed down my knife and coated my hand.

With a rueful smile, I tore it from her body, spraying her ichor all over the road. From the floor, Athena made a weak attempt at kicking my feet from under me. I stumbled but continued running towards Annabeth. My feet ate up the distance between Annabeth and I.

The girl was holding her celestial bronze knife high. She had no chance of fighting me, however; her eyes had to remain tightly shut lest she die by caching a glance of my divine form, and her ears were bleeding, damaged, so she couldn't even try to avoid me by ear.

I threw back my arm. My knife glinted silver under the sun's glare. I flicked my wrist, and my knife was almost out of my hand and in its way to pierce Annabeth's heart when a hand gripped her wrist and wrenched it to the side.

"Artemis, what are you doing?" My brother was looking at me as if he was really worried I had gone insane. To be fair, I'm pretty sure I momentarily went insane during those moments.

Through my rage, I was able to tell him, "Let me kill her." I tried to break his grip, but he held my wrist in his crushing grip. "Apollo! Let me kill her!" He looked stunned, but quickly regained himself. He nodded, a determined expression on his face.

I loved Apollo so much in that moment, it can't be explained. He was my only true brother. We were twins. We would always stand together, no matter what. And yes, the irony of that is maddeningly painful right now.

Apollo dropped my hand. His eyes zeroed in behind me. I assumed it was Athena getting back up, but didn't bother to look. She had wasted so much of her energy preventing my sphere from destroying Olympus that Apollo would overpower her as easily as Poseidon would overpower a demigod.

I walked to Annabeth, savoring my victory now that I knew Athena was no longer a threat. I grabbed her by her hair. Annabeth screamed and made a weak attempt at stabbing me with her knife. I knocked her knife across the street.

"Get away from me! What did I ever do to you? Leave me alone. Just because I refuse to be a virgin forever—" I slapped her across the face. Annabeth cried out in pain.

"You little idiot." She couldn't hear me, but I didn't care.

I raised my hand, preparing to stab her in the heart with it, when someone pushed me. I slammed against my palace's gates. They groaned on impact. I fell to the floor, Apollo over me. I wondered for a second why he had pushed me, the thought of him betraying me never once crossing my mind. That, to be honest, is ridiculous.

I got my answer when a cylinder of crackling electricity was thrown at the place I had been standing in. There was a peal of thunder. Annabeth Chase had been touched by my father's lightning bolt when he had thrown it at me. Her hand turned a soft blue before she started screaming and writhing on the stretch of pavement.

In a moment Hermes was over her, healing her as best he could. My father, flanked by more than half the council, stood besides him the next second.

"You okay, sis?" Apollo got up from me.

I took the hand he offered me without complaint. "Yeah."

He looked grave when he looked at me. "Oh, we're in so much trouble." His words weren't a whine. I knew he didn't regret standing by me.

"Are they here because…?"

"No. Hades called an emergency meeting. Something bad has happened." I could see clearly what he thought that was about.

"It's going to be fine." My voice was reassuring.

Apollo nodded. "I hope you're right."

"I am. Athena will probably try to get me punished for today." I looked at the gaping hole I had created. "Let's go." The two of us walked towards the other gods.

"You could have destroyed Olympus." Apollo, as usual, was not blaming me as much as he was trying to get me to explain the reasons behind my actions.

"Goddess of Wisdom." I snorted. "She's no such thing when she lets her feelings get in the way. She shouldn't have challenged me. I knew she would choose to minimize the damage my power would cause."

Apollo laced my fingers with his. "Why'd you want to kill her?" He spoke of Annabeth's death as a boy would speak of his approaching birthday. I smiled at Apollo. At least he was back to normal.

"She insulted me."

Apollo shot me an amused look, but chose to remain silent. At that moment we reached the other council members. Poseidon's face was impassive, but my father was mad.

"Do you have any idea of what you could have done?" I didn't for one second think he spoke of Annabeth. What did he care about one worthless demigod?

"We'll explain in the throne room, father." Apollo said.

Zeus pursed his lips. "Yes, you will." Zeus addressed everyone else. "The meeting will take place in five minutes. Hermes!" Hermes looked up from where he was treating Annabeth. "Leave the girl. We have more important things to do. Get whoever's missing."

With a mournful cry directed at Annabeth, he flashed out of there. I didn't know what he was worried about. The girl would live.

Apollo and I quickly followed in a mixture of silver and golden.

_**The Waning Moon**_

_**A/N:**_ This got completely out of hand. That fight scene wasn't in my plans. I don't know when I will update next, okay? And for those of you who want to know when Breaking Hearts will be updated, it wont be for a long while. There will only be one chapter per girl, which means that the chapters will be long. Don't wait for it. I have to cover Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters in one chapter. Or I'll try to. There comes a time when the word count becomes ridiculous.


	4. III The Consuming Panic

_**III. The Consuming Panic**_

Zeus sat on his throne. "To your joint forms," he said, and everyone groaned.

"Mars is _boring_, why can't they have their own council?"

Athena sniffed. "Brutes, the whole lot of them. They have no appreciation of what is precious!"

I snapped. "Just because they worship you the way you deserve to be worshiped, it doesn't mean they are barbarians."

Athena went red. The Romans thought her little better than Hebe. "The endless war, the bloodshed—"

"Oh, she wasn't disagreeing." Apollo interrupted her, true to character. Usually he would have gotten out his iPod, but he needed to be alert to help me weasel my way out of getting punished.

"I was only pointing out why you hate them. That being said," I crossed my legs, "they could use some art classes."

Zeus growled at us from his throne, "Joint forms, now, children." He said _children_ like a particularly bad insult.

Without any more complaints, I pulled Diana from the northeastern part of the United States and straight into Olympus. She resisted, not recognizing me immediately, but then she gave in. We merged our minds together. It was a peculiar thing, to have two personalities within you at the same time. Slowly, the two of us fused completely, and I felt whole.

Diana assimilated my memories since the Post-War Meeting a month ago. She usually didn't do this, but she instinctively knew something important had happened to me since the last time we had been anywhere near the other.

"Artemis, Apollo. Explain your actions."

I looked at Apollo, and he looked at me. "I have asked Annabeth Chase to become a part of my Hunt several times. I would never force a maiden to remain one, but Athena's daughter has disrespected me."

Hera perked up, eyes shining, "In what way exactly?"

"I sympathized with her due to her recent rupture with Percy Jackson." Poseidon straightened up in his throne, studying me with eyes that bothered me simply because of their likeness to Percy's. "Due to this, I did not kill her for raising her voice at me two weeks ago when…" I blushed at my mistake. I shouldn't have brought that up. "When I mistook Percy Jackson for an… enemy." I tried to make my error—confusing a demigod for a Titan, _honestly_—less ridiculous, but I failed.

I cleared my throat, and spoke clearly, not letting the sniggers get to me. "She spoke disrespectfully to me today, once again. Enough is enough, I say. If she wishes to challenge an Olympian, then let her feel our wrath."

I looked straight at Hera. A small smile crept on her lips. She gave me a small smile of agreement and a nod. For now, against Annabeth Chase, we were allies despite how much we hated each other.

Athena didn't miss our exchange. "She is not in her right state of mind. It is all because of that _boy_ of yours." She glowered at Poseidon. "I warned her. Heroes are bad news to women everywhere." I couldn't argue with her there. I did agree.

Ridiculous, how I couldn't follow my own advice.

Poseidon smiled, most of his teeth showing. "It's not his—nor my—fault she didn't listen, is it? If someone ignored wise counsel," He laughed at his own joke, but Athena only gritted her teeth, "then they are the only ones to blame. Regardless of whose fault it was, the girl crossed the line. Artemis wished to kill her, and you intervened." Poseidon met my eyes. I knew he wasn't on my side, but neither was he on Athena's.

"My daughter has been appointed as the Architect of Olympus. She may not be harmed, and yet Artemis tried. It was my duty to thwart her attempts." Athena looked quite dignified at the moment, sitting straight and eyes raking over the other gods. In the end, her eyes settled on the minor gods, who would in reality decide the vote. I pursed my lips when I remembered Percy's idiocy. Rejecting godhood had been noble, surprising, and had endeared him to a lot of the gods, but it had lessened the power of the Council of the Gods.

Any of us, with the use of some threats, could get away with trying to destroy Olympus. Which was why Athena was more worried about her image as the goddess of wisdom than someone punishing her. This argument was meaningless.

But the gods have eternity to fill in.

Poseidon scoffed. "You did not act because of your duty to Olympus, but out of love for your daughter. We must not fight our children's battles."

Athena sneered at him. "Like you are one to talk. You favor Percy Jackson so much it is a small wonder you haven't offered immortality to him." Poseidon's lips tightened in obvious anger, and Athena's ticked off expression turned into one of childish glee. "Oh, _my_. You have. And he rejected you! Your _own child._" Her chuckles turned into full-out laughter. She laughed so hard that when she stopped, she was slumped halfway off her throne. "This is the highlight of the next decade, I swear."

I had to keep myself from defending Percy. I had always had a positive outlook on his deeds, but I had never been terribly offended by someone insulting him. Something told me to keep quiet, that it would be a terrible mistake to defend the son of Poseidon.

"If you are quite finished," growled Zeus.

"Wait a damn second." Poseidon sprung up from his throne, his trident in his hand. Athena followed his example. Aegis and Dikastis, her spear, shimmered into existence. The two gods stood poised for battle. "I have never appeared in a battlefield and fought someone in Percy's steed. I send him help. I answer his prayers!"

"You favor him above your heir, you dimwitted—"

Athena was cut off by Father's bellow, "QUIET!"

The room was bathed in silence. When Zeus commanded, we obeyed (unless Poseidon chose to mock him, which never ended well). He spoke to Poseidon and Athena, "Sit." They did so in quick order, Poseidon sporting a satisfied grin at having had the last word. "Athena, don't you ever do that again. Your daughter is meaningless." I could tell she didn't like that by the way her jaw tightened. I didn't have time to taunt her with a glance because Father then directed his attention at me, "Artemis, this still doesn't explain your actions. A mortal isn't worth Olympus." His tone of voice was noticeably gentler with me.

I put on my best kicked puppy expression, with my bottom lip slightly jutting out. "I know, Father." I was properly demure when I said, "But Olympus was never in any danger of being destroyed." There was an abundance of raised eyebrows in the Hall of the Gods. I controlled the urge to roll my eyes; doing such a thing would lose me my father's support. How irresponsible did they think me? "As Goddess of the Hunt, I see the weaknesses of my prey, and whatever stands between me and _it_." I couldn't resist grinning at Athena, who was fuming. She _may_ have been Zeus's most trusted in the battlefield, but _I_ held his heart. "I knew Athena would not let Olympus be destroyed, and purposefully shot an arrow with just the right amount of power so that she could prevent the fall of Olympus in short notice."

"Clearly, Artemis, you just proved yourself guilty."

Apollo came to my aid. "She knew you would stop her, and took measures to allow you to do so. This is her domain. Do you presume to know it better than her?"

Dionysus waved a hand. "Oh, who cares? Athena violated an Ancient Law. The guilt's on her. Let us vote." I was surprised. Dionysus almost always took Athena's side. Whatever she had done to get him on her bad side had undoubtedly been bad.

In the end, only Athena and Poseidon voted to have me punished. The rest of the gods abstained. I smiled and said, "That is not a majority. Those in favor of punishing Athena?"

Dionysus, Apollo, Poseidon, Hera and I raised our hands. At the last moment, so did Aphrodite.

Athena gripped the armrests of her throne. "You two-timing—!"

Aphrodite raised her other hand to inspect her nails. "My interest in your daughter was limited to her relationship with Percy Jackson. But he dumped her." Aphrodite dropped her hand on her lap, and said, a smile playing on her lips, "Remember, Athena?"

Athena clenched her teeth together. She bit out, "Of course, Aphrodite."

Zeus cleared his throat, not liking the tension that had formed around the two goddesses. It didn't help that none but the two of them seemed to know what was going on. Instead of asking for an explanation, my father said, "That is not a majority." He looked around at the minor gods. "That is all, isn't it?" He grudgingly said. I understood; asking for a minor god's confirmation… Ew. None of them had spoken a single word in the meeting. Soon after the Post-War Meeting, most of them had realized that being in the Council wasn't all it was chalked up to be.

Yes, we had power; power which they had diminished by worming themselves in our Council, but most of our time together was spent bickering like twelve-year-olds with a slightly better grasp of the English language. The minor gods were several millennia too late to understand the dynamics of the Council. They didn't understand.

They were _in_ the Council, but they weren't _of_ the Council.

An assortment of moody assertive replies later, my father said, "Be sure this never happens again, or you will be punished, regardless of what this Council dictates. That goes for _all_ of you." He addressed the room. "Hades, if you would?"

"Oh, you finished." He looked up from the stack of papers he had been going through, and rolled his eyes. "Right, so Thanatos is missing."

_**The Waning Moon**_

Percy was swimming and I shamelessly stared at him from my place perched on the broadest branch of the sturdiest willow tree around. I would have preferred a more sturdy tree, like an oak, but there was none around, and I was pretty sure that Percy would notice me if I made a tree sprout out of the ground.

I was mulling Hades's words during the council meeting. The fact that Apollo's sister prophecy and Thanatos's kidnapping had come in such close succession was not a coincidence. The Giants were stirring. A month ago, I had hoped that Rachel's prophecy did not come to completion for a long time, but now Apollo had informed me of this new one, I hoped the first one wouldn't be displaced. Whatever I had told Apollo, I knew my theory had no credence. Apollo, as the God of Prophecy, knew his domain better than I did. If there was anything to be done, only he could do it.

Or a Hero, but never a goddess.

The prophecy worried me. If Apollo was right, and it _did_ concern Thalia, then I might be the immortal the prophecy was talking about. Maybe she would betray me. Only now did it dawn on me how foolish it had been to try, and fail, to kill Annabeth. I had always assumed the danger would be Athena, who was half-blinded by her notions of her own superiority—whatever anyone thought, she had her mortal moments, like the rest of immortals. It had never occurred to me that those same mortal emotions I exploited against Athena might be my undoing. If Thalia let herself get carried over by her emotions, if she chose to side with Annabeth over me, then I might have just triggered the prophecy.

However, because Apollo hadn't called me up yet, I assumed I was still safe. Despite his words in his palace, I knew that Apollo would keep me informed of things as important as this if he thought they involved me in some level.

I contemplated killing Thalia, but the thought was sickening. Of all the immortals, I was the fairest. Always, I had a reason for turning against a mortal. Polyphonte had fallen in love with a bear, but I hadn't known how Aphrodite had put her in a trance. Callisto had broken her vow, but I hadn't known the way my father had forced her into doing so. I hadn't killed Orion knowingly. Niobe had deserved her punishment. I would take my revenge on Annabeth with time. But Thalia had done nothing but be loyal to me. How could I kill her? Just because I wanted Annabeth thrown into the deepest part of Tartarus didn't mean I wanted her friend gone, too.

And there was also the slim possibility that if I _was_ the immortal the prophecy spoke of, and if I _did_ try to kill Thalia, she would be betray me if she escaped, somehow deciding my fate. The demigods have always dramatized their role in life, claiming that prophecies are their eternal doom, and that the gods are selfish. And yet the gods had it worse. If a demigod died a hero, where else but in Elysium would he remain for the rest of eternity? In contrast, if a god fell into Tartarus, centuries would pass before they were able to escape with someone's help, and years before they regained a semblance of their power.

It was better to bide my time where Thalia was concerned, I decided.

Years later, I would think of this day and curse myself for my decision. Now, there is no doubt in my mind that not choosing to kill Thalia Grace is the gravest mistake I have ever made.

_**The Waning Moon**_

A few minutes later, Diana fell on the branch nearest to me. The impact was so strong that with a _crunch_ I honestly hoped Percy didn't hear, the branch was torn in half. Diana reacted fast, jumping up and taking hold of a branch above her. The branch stopped falling, hovering in midair until it made its slow ascension to the place where it had been ripped. A soft blue glow wove the branch back to the willow tree. Not a second later, Diana fell softly on it and sat down, glaring at the branch. "I hate willow trees. Why couldn't you choose something better to sit on?" Before I could answer, she continued, "Anyways, that wasn't what I came here for."

I sighed, knowing what she wanted. "Percy." My eyes were drawn back to his figure, swimming laps around the greenish lake. I had followed him here, curious. I wondered if he came here often, to relax; to get away from the worries of his life as a mortal. I knew it wasn't easy for demigods to juggle the stress of their two lives, and Percy didn't even get the courtesy of being a low-profile demigod. Not one god in Olympus would hesitate to have a piece of him. As far as trophies went, he was a very valuable one.

"Why are you so interested in him?" Diana didn't want to say we. Always, she was the most cautious one. Always, she was the level-headed one. My Roman self was more like Athena than Minerva herself, so change—accepting boys—was harder for her than it was for me, even if she felt as drawn to Percy Jackson as I did.

"He's different." I tried to explain myself, but the words wouldn't come to me. I didn't know how Percy was different. He just was. There had been, before Percy, boys I could stand, but never before had I gone _looking_ for them. I felt at ease with him, much more comfortable than I ever had ever been with Orion, or even Apollo.

Diana looked at me sadly, and I knew why. She and I were creatures of logic, mostly untouched by the madness induced by Aphrodite and Venus. Even Athena was unable to separate herself from men completely, hand-picking men she thought deserving and birthing children the same way she was born.

I don't look—nor claim to be—a creature of logic anymore. My days of acting rationally are long past. Years have gone by, but I don't regret turning my back on Athena's way.

Diana examined her sandaled feet. "Let me speak to him. Only me. Only this afternoon." I considered Diana's request. After some deliberation, I had to agree. "He's swimming now to the edge." Diana nodded her head in his general direction. I turned my attention back to the son of Poseidon, moving through the water so gracefully I envied him for it. More than once I had wished to have been born as a daughter of Poseidon. I yearned for the sea like the moon itself did.

I tore my eyes away from Percy to find Diana still staring at Percy in jealousy. I snapped her attention back to me with my voice. "You'll be alright?"

Diana stood up on her branch, hands clasped behind her back. "Of course. I copied all your memories of him—and Annabeth Chase—at the meeting. I'll be fine, sister." She stepped off the branch and landed nimbly on the grass bellow. I only stayed long enough for Diana greet Percy.

I flashed out of the forest.

_**The Waning Moon**_

I watched them all day from the privacy of my palace. Doubtlessly, my Hunters were worried about me by now. Usually I spent all but a few days a year with them, but in the last week I had been perpetually absent. I wasn't worried they would inform anyone of my behavior, however. They knew better than that.

Percy had been less surprised by Diana's appearance than I had expected him to be. Maybe immortals dropping in to hand him a towel to dry himself was a common occurrence in his life. I had almost gone back on my word, simmering with rage at Diana's careless attitude. She wasn't as good in acting like me as she thought she was. She exaggerated every gesture of mine, and every sentence that fell from her lips lacked the veiled purpose behind mine. The only reason I didn't mesh our two minds together was because… because Percy seemed to enjoy it.

I didn't know if it was because he was happier right now, or because Diana wasn't correcting his archery stance every two minutes, but he liked her more than the average Greek should like a Roman goddess.

The two of them ended up hunting a pack of small hellhounds, since Percy didn't want to practice archery, much to Diana's (and mine's) disappointment. I was severely tempted to ignore Diana and merge the two of us together so that I could talk to Percy, but I decided that if I did, Diana wouldn't leave me alone until I gave her the time she had asked for with Percy. It was better to let her have him for a little while longer, since it wouldn't be permanent.

As soon as Diana entered my palace in Olympus hours later, however, I knew it wouldn't be a one-time occurrence for her to ask me to leave the two of them alone. She slid under the covers on the bed, besides me, and we stayed in silence until she mustered the courage to tell me what I already knew.

"He… _is_ different." She licked her lips, and then met my eyes. I could read a mortal's emotions without trying, and a demigod's was hardly any more difficult, but Diana's were hard to decipher when she was conflicted. A goddess was a much more complicated being than a normal mortal. They had, at most, a hundred years to change, but I was five thousand years old and yet was still considered young. When we lost our sense of direction, or when we ceased to want to keep on living, there were only two paths open to us: Adapt, or fade.

And when you were a goddess, adapting too many times could get your domain ripped away from you.

"Why don't we see him together?" I was too stunned to answer her for a while.

"Are you sure?" My brow creased with worry. What she was suggesting… It wasn't like her to be so careless. Diana hadn't managed to surprise me since she had sworn she would not make any more Hunters after her whole entourage had broken their vows in a period of two years in the 70s.

Diana bit her lip, and that, more than what she had just suggested, scared me. She had forsaken her Hunters more than a decade ago. It wasn't like her to exhibit such mortal mannerisms. Her disquieting descent into an existence so removed from the mortal world was what prompted me to spend few days away from my Hunters—afraid that if I left, they might lose faith, and if they did, that I stopped believing in myself and faded.

Each immortal showed different signs of fading. Were these Diana's? Would they be mine one day soon? I was certain Diana needed more contact with those outside Olympus. If she was willing to take up my life, to become Greek once again, then why should I say no? Why, since her leaving me would leave me vulnerable to the passage of time? My choice wasn't one I had to think about much. "Yes, together." Diana beamed at me, and I cringed.

We touched our palms together. I closed my eyes, and pulled my other side into me. We were one once again. For a long time, we remained like that.

Not anymore.

_**The Waning Moon**_

After that, there was this irresistible urge to visit Percy as soon as I could. I didn't act on it the next day—or week, even—mostly because I was stuck day after day on emergency Council meetings. Apparently, Tartarus had been leaking much more than Hades had thought. Demigods were being put on alert. The satyrs were recruiting as many demigods as they could, but there simply weren't enough to spare. In the end, Zeus heaped upon my Hunters the task of combing though Europe for them. I gave Hermes a letter to hand to Thalia, informing her of the Hunters's new mission. I explained my absence for the last week by blaming Apollo.

A separate group of demigods was gathered to hunt the remaining demigods in what was left of the West. Annabeth was dismissed from her role as Architect of Olympus to join in on the search, as she was one of the best Greek fighters. The Roman camp remained unperturbed. Quite simply, the way of Rome was to keep only those who proved themselves worthy to Lupa. No one asked Percy's help. No one informed him of the happenings in Olympus. It was unspoken among the Council members, but he had already done enough.

My father was under the impression the Giants would be lulled into sleep once again if we kept all the demigods who couldn't defend themselves somewhere the monsters would be unable to get to them. I disagreed. I knew war was coming just as surely as I knew Zeus would in a short time announce Olympus would be locked away from mortals indefinitely.

I went to visit Thalia.

When I arrived in the clearing I had designated for our meeting, she was waiting for me. "My lady," she said.

I acknowledged her with a nod. "I'll be brief. I don't have much time, Thalia. Our father wants to lock the Gods away, and he blames Percy Jackson."

Thalia's eyes widened. "Why?"

"He believes that the gods have shed too much of our essence in the last years, especially in the last months." I hesitated. Zeus had forbidden the whole Council from speaking about Gaea. A hint was the best I could do; I hoped she commented this to Phoebe. "He pretends to lull the evils that stir back into the ground by alienating ourselves from our children and companions."

She tilted her head to the side, her bangs falling over one eye before she flicked them back. "He doesn't want us to prepare?"

"No, but we must anyways." I gazed at the moon, high on the sky.

"Are we in greater peril than we were a summer ago?" I looked up at my Hunter, since she was taller than me in my eight-year-old form. Thalia's eyes were inquisitive as her feet slowly parted the grass bellow us, making random patterns on it that disappeared as soon as her feet stopped moving.

I smiled despite how grim our topic of conversation was. _This_ was why I had made Thalia my Lieutenant over Phoebe; why I couldn't bring myself to kill her. She was so smart, so reliable. "Yes, much greater peril."

Thalia grimaced. "I understand. Your orders, other than looking for the demigods, my lady?"

"Don't answer to dreams. Don't believe your dreams. No matter what, Thalia. It doesn't matter what you see, _don't_. Tell the other Hunters the same thing. Your mind can be manipulated so easily when you are unconscious."

"Is that all?"

I could tell she expected me to dismiss her immediately afterwards, but I said, "No. I have a question to ask you." To her credit, Thalia didn't even stiffen. She trusted me. "Have you heard of what happened between Annabeth Chase and I?"

Face blank, Thalia answered, "Yes."

"Is your loyalty still to me?"

Thalia didn't even hesitate. "Yes, my lady."

I nodded, and left after a quick goodbye.

_**The Waning Moon**_

I visited Percy next. He was shooting balls at the basketball hoop on one side of the court, which was deserted. Two of the basketballs went through the hoop before I made it besides him. "Wouldn't it be more productive to practice your swordsfighting, if you want to blow off steam?"

Percy made an exasperated noise, and threw away the ball he had picked up with a huff. "Oh, Gods, now _what_ do you want?" He crossed his arms as he turned to me.

I was taken aback by the way he spoke to me. "Is there something I did?" It didn't occur to me until later that as a goddess, I didn't apologize, nor did I ask if there was something I should be apologizing for.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Obviously, something's up in Olympus. I can't make any Iris Messages. Every time I use a phone to try to contact a demigod, the call falls through. My internet connection was literally useless as of yesterday. And," he tapped his foot on the floor, "I've had no less than five Olympians visit me today, if I include you."

I blinked. "Five? Who?" I used the tone no demigod dared defy.

Percy answered me promptly. "Hermes, Apollo, Aphrodite, my dad and you." He shook his head, as if he couldn't believe his words. "I didn't just tell you, did I?" He pinched his nose.

I didn't deign him with an answer. "Hermes?" I figured it was best to leave the most complicated questions—such as Apollo's appearance—for later.

"He officially apologized for cutting me off from the rest of the camp. It's not fair that you can do that after I've done so much for you."

"It's to protect you." I covered my mouth, but the words were already out. Percy smiled. I wondered if he had intentionally left me that opening to see if I volunteered some information. I tried to ascertain for sure, but Poseidon was still keeping his mind locked away from me. "And Apollo?"

Percy shrugged. "He asked if I wanted archery lessons." I could tell he was hoping for me to derail into a lecture on the importance of archery, but I kept my cool. I knew Apollo wouldn't visit him just because he wanted to pay back a favor. Did my brother think Percy had anything to do with the prophecy?

In that moment, I knew that, at least subconsciously, I had assumed that he was part of it. He had been so monumentally important in the second Titan War that there was no way he wasn't involved in this one. Annabeth was his ex-girlfriend and Thalia was his friend. One way or another, he would be involved, whether he fought Gaea himself or led an army. He was a leader. More importantly, he had defeated Kronos this time around. If Gaea was going to be hunting anyone down, it would be Percy.

"Aphrodite?"

"I don't think you want to know about her." There was a trace of amusement in his voice that I knew was real. I probably didn't want to know. I sensed a sudden change in him I identified as fear. Percy started talking very fast. "But if you insist, she—"

"And Poseidon, Percy?"

He gave me a tight smile. "What, you don't want to question me about Aphrodite? I'm sure she would be insulted."

"What did he tell you, Percy?" I didn't mean to make myself sound as threatening as I did, but it came out that way.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Is there a reason why you're here, Artemis? I'm tired and I was practicing okay?" I didn't see why he would need to practice shooting a stupid _ball_ into a stupid hoop _for_, but I had more important questions to ask him than that one.

In a second, I was so close to him our noses were touching. I had turned into my sixteen-year-old form purposefully, since staying in my usual one would have forced me to look up at him more than I was comfortable with. My Celestial Bronze knife was poised against his throat. It was for show; we both knew he wouldn't be harmed there. "I'm not Ares, Percy." I made sure my voice was soothing, but not at all patronizing. I didn't want him to think I believed him to be a child. I respected him. "You won't survive me." My left hand settled on his forearm. I knew without needing to look into his emotions that he was going to mouth off, so I said, "Please tell me what Poseidon said. I swear on the River Styx I will not tell anyone."

Thunder boomed, signifying the recognition of my oath by the Fates.

Percy was staring at the blade of my knife. "Get that away from me."

"I will if you tell me what I want." Despite my words, I let the hand holding the knife fall to my side. Percy didn't relax, and I never once expected him to. This close, with my other hand holding on to the arm which would go for Riptide, I could kill him in an instant if I wanted to. Wherever my knife was at the moment didn't matter. "Percy, Zeus is going to make a terrible mistake, and I need to know if Poseidon's plans coincide with my own."

"Artemis, I'm not an idiot. My dad doesn't trust you. I shouldn't trust you either, where he is concerned." And would he lay down his life to protect his secrets? "I could kill you."

Percy gulped. "I'm long overdue, anyways."

I stared him down, but Percy didn't back down. I didn't believe for a second that he wasn't afraid of dying. Even if he had Elysium guaranteed, I knew he wouldn't bear leaving his friends. "Tell me. You're making me think it's a lot more risky than it probably is."

I don't know why, but he told me. "He wants me to go under the sea. To Atlantis. He thinks I might not be safe above the surface. Will you tell me what's going on?"

I sheathed my knife. "Thank you."

"Artemis, am I really in danger or is my dad overreacting?" He looked down.

I looked into his deep green eyes. "If you're not careful, you'll be dead before you reach seventeen." My gaze scanned the court. Not a single shadow. "I must go."

Percy nodded absentmindedly, still reeling from my confession.

_**The Waning Moon**_

A mile away from the court where I met Percy, Apollo was waiting for me. I turned back to my usual form. Apollo didn't comment. "You heard it all?"

He nodded. "Poseidon won't be able to hide him."

"Why? Was there a line missing from the prophecy?" Apollo shook his head.

"A feeling," he said is casually, but when the God of Prophecy said that, there was a very slim chance of him not being right.

I said out of the blue, "I won't kill Thalia."

"I think you should, but whatever you say. More importantly, I think we should tell the Council." He sat down on the grass and leaned back against a tree.

I looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

He shrugged and closed his eyes. "A feeling." Oh, but how I _hated_ it when he got prophecies. How I hated it.

I walked up to him so my shadow fell on him. He opened his eyes, annoyed. "I think the immortal it speaks of… is me."

"I know," Apollo said quietly. He held out his hands. I considered ignoring them, but I needed the support. I sat down besides my brother, and his arms wrapped around me as he pulled me onto his lap. Apollo smelled of laurels and lemons. The moment his skin touched mine, a pleasant warmth spread through me.

"You're certain?"

"Completely, Artemis. I'm sorry. I want you to kill all your Hunters." He grinned down at me.

I swatted his shoulder as best I could from my position. "You can't. They're maidens. I've thought about it."

"Not even Thalia?"

"Especially not her. I feel responsible for her more than I do for my other Hunters."

Apollo sighed into my hair, tickling me. "Apollo!" I screamed in fury, turning around to hit him. By the time I managed, he had dumped me on the grass. My hands clawed at thin air. "You _will_ pay, you _insufferable_ boy!"

I heard Apollo's laugh, carried over by the wind.

_**The Waning Moon**_

Apollo swore the Council to secrecy before he revealed what a sister prophecy was. There were cries of outrage from everyone who hadn't known about the last one—before Zeus quieted them down. When Apollo revealed the words of the prophecy, all eyes turned to Athena, who was pale. She remained silent as an argument arose around her children. Most of the gods agreed the first two lines spoke of Annabeth Chase, who was the only female child of Athena or Minerva with _hubris_ as a fatal flaw.

"Let's kill her!"

"No, Ares, trying to impede the prophecy could set it off!" Apollo screamed at him. All the blame was being heaped on him, especially because almost everyone in the room hadn't been allowed to have a say in the first sister prophecy.

"But if we kill her—and all of her children—then we are safe. An oath on the River Styx that Athena won't have any more children, and that's it!" Aphrodite waved her hand. "She shouldn't have children anyways. _Virgin goddesses._" She _tsked_.

Hades gave Aphrodite a condescending smile. "Because that worked out _so_ well last time."

The Goddess of Love went red in anger. "Yes, but they did it for the sex. She _can't_ have sex!" She pointed one finger at Athena.

"No one's killing my children unless we kill Artemis's Hunters too!"

I gritted my teeth. Now that she had dragged me into it, I had very little options left. "Oh, yes, just because they're mentioned in the prophecy. If that's the case, why don't we hurl ourselves into Tartarus? If there are no Olympians left to crown another, then there's no problem."

"Everyone is being ridiculous." Hera said. "No one will be killed."

"Actually," Poseidon said, lounging on his throne, "let's kill everyone that might be involved in the prophecy. Everyone must sacrifice something."

I pursed my lips. "Oh, I agree. Especially since our dearest Savior of Olympus is entrenched in it!"

Poseidon sat bolt-upright. "What?" In any other circumstance, I would have been quite happy to have Poseidon worried over my words, but my little victory felt hollow.

"Apollo can confirm that Percy Jackson will, one way or another, one prophecy or the other, be deeply involved in them both."

All eyes turned to my brother. He rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, I swear on the River Styx." A peal of thunder met my ears.

"Now we have all the more reason to kill everyone!"

Hera sighed loudly. "Oh, but how I _miss_ Mars." She turned to Zeus. "Why couldn't we hold a joint meeting?"

Zeus ignored her. "I have made my decision." There were protests from virtually everyone in the room, myself included. He couldn't choose to kill my Hunters! Or Percy. "No one will be killed." One half of the room sighed in relief even as the other half raised their voices in fury. "We will seal ourselves away, and prevent the prophecy from coming about!" Zeus raised a hand, stopping the cries of outrage. "Percy Jackson's wish will be our downfall if we continue the way we are. If the boy accepts it, I propose we give him godhood in exchange for allowing us to go back on our oaths."

Poseidon slammed his trident against the cold marble floor. "He will not accept. Godhood would have to be forced down his throat."

Aphrodite piped up. "An oath on the River Styx must be revoked by choice. He won't be able to free us, then."

Silence settled down on the room like the weight of the sky. "We lock ourselves then, and don't acknowledge our children any more than we have to."

I opened my mouth to argue, but with one look my father quieted me down.

_**The Waning Moon**_

The bridge out of Olympus was made out of Imperial Gold. It shimmered on its own right, not needing the moon's glow to reflect light. I tiptoed quietly down the dissolving bridge, careful to not step on the clouds below. If I did, then Zeus would be alerted of my purpose. I took a step back and jumped the particularly large hole left by the dissolving Imperial Gold, landing easily on the tips of my feet. The spaces of Imperial Gold I could step in were too small for me to walk normally. The moon gave me its strength, and the night was my ally. In broad sunlight, distinguishing Apollo's light from the Imperial Gold's would have been almost impossible, even for someone with eyes as good as mine.

The doorway out of Olympus was only a few feet away when I realized that the Gold directly connected to the doorway was about to disappear completely. At the rate I was going, I would never reach the doorway. Risking capture, I danced over the clouds to the unstable railing. I ran with expertise down the thin stretch of gold, never wider than half the width of one of my feet. Five feet from the doorway, the railing ended abruptly. Without stopping, I jumped with as much precision as I could manage—which was a lot. The tip of right foot barely touched on the thin sheet of Gold before I was airborne once again, the Gold dissolving once I had jumped away.

I could see the Celestial Bronze doors slipping away, dissolving under the might of the sky. I slammed into them. My nails clawed at the Bronze, finding purchase in the Gold handles. I yanked them open, and broke into a exhilarated run when I realized I was surrounded by darkness. Darkness so all-encompassing I knew at once where I was.

I couldn't help it. I screamed. No longer did I care to save Olympus, my Hunters, or Percy. I cried for my father, to come and save me. I cried for my brother, who would always protect me from threats I myself didn't see. It was useless. I knew that in here, no one would hear me.

The pain hadn't set in yet, but soon, I knew, it would. Athena's voice reached my ears just as the golden tears started to leak out from my eyes. "Artemis, now, don't cry. You'll only be gone for a few millennia at most."

I growled, but I didn't even know if Athena was really here, or if she had recorded this. "I'm speaking to you directly. I had to get my revenge. It was so helpful for Hera to slip out before you. I barely had time to set the entrance to Tartarus before you reached the gates. It's…" she laughed "connected to Typhon's. Have fun for me, sister?"

As Athena's voice faded, terrible screams filled my ears, making me shiver. Soon, my own screams joined the cacophony as I crossed the part of Tartarus that crushed mortals to nothingness. My throat went hoarse with the effort. My eyes bled ichor, as did the rest of my body. When I mustered enough strength to look down at myself, the darkness of Tartarus was illuminated by the pure golden hue of my blood. The pain weakened me, and I could only ask myself why.

Why had I ever wanted to leave Olympus? For the salvation of the Gods? For my own pitiful existence? That existence was being snuffed out bit by bit as I fell towards Typhon. I couldn't die, I couldn't fade, but even my father would become a shade if he spent mere days at Typhon's whim. What would he do to me? What kind of torture would he bestow on me once he heard my desperate cries for help?

Curse Athena and her blasted daughter. I didn't care how long it took me, but I would rise from this prison Athena had locked me in. Apollo would never stop looking for me, and eventually he would brave the entrance containing Typhon. Apollo, I knew, would never leave me.

The pain intensified until my thoughts splintered and all I had left were fragments of memories, feelings I couldn't identify neither then nor now. I grasped in vain at my sanity, but my hands came up empty. Before Tartarus swallowed me whole, however, I saw a beacon of light among the darkness. There was black, but never one quite as black as the one I was surrounded by. There was green, bottle green like the sea, the shade of the most coveted emeralds. A thousand good feelings flooded me, all coming from a source that reminded me of my brother but wasn't, exactly.

I realized, after a few minutes, that it was the image my mind had conjured up of Percy Jackson. The tears still fell down my torn cheeks, mingling with the ichor. The pain was worse than anything I had ever experienced, but I was coherent.

I don't know how I did it, but ironically, Athena's own creation saved me. This plan, engineered by the biggest hypocrite I have ever met, was her downfall. Somehow, I managed to bind myself to Percy. Somehow, through means that baffled both Hermes and Apollo, I bound myself to him in a plane that cannot be explained.

Percy Jackson kept me chained to the world, and away from Typhon's clutches. Yet still in Tartarus, I waited for the son of Poseidon to help me out of the pit that could end my existence.

_**The Waning Moon**_

_**A/N:**_ You have no idea how terrible the last two weeks have been. The chapter itself wasn't hard, though it was a terribly daunting task to try to make a filler anything but dull. I hope I managed.

So no, my problem wasn't the chapter, but my life. I hate visas. I really, really do. _I hate them._ This chapter would have been finished a week ago if it wasn't for that. It's not that I didn't have the time, though I had less free time than usual for vacations. It's that I've been worrying about when things are going to arrive by mail because you can't trust mail here. It's worrying about my interview and getting mad because I just messed up my nails. It's teenage angst, and I hate it.

I don't think I'll be able to update for a while, and if I do, then after that the chapters will pretty much stop until October. I'll probably be too busy.

_**To Guest Reviewers: **_Look, you guys, I answer everyone's reviews as long as they let me, but I can't PM you. Therefore, any questions you have, I can't answer because I'm not one of those authors who write author notes longer than the true chapter. A Guest reviewer left some great theories in Chapter II, but I can't answer him/her because he/she doesn't have an account. If you want me to answer, just take that into account. You're welcome to leave reviews as a Guest, I'm okay with that.


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